Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery

456 Pages·2008·77.525 MB·English

by  Martin Gardner

THE GREAT CULT MYSTERY
Martin Gardner, one of America’s most
acclaimed science writers, has here com-
piled the first complete history of a grow-
ing, modem religious cult. Gardner traces
the cult’s beginnings back to its “bible,”
The Urantia Book, a book supposedly re-
vealed solely by celestial beings to correct
the flaws in the traditional Bible. Pub-
lished in 1955 under the direction of cult
leader Dr. William Sadler, The Urantia
Book (Urantia is the cult’s name for the
earth) is the largest work ever said to have
been channeled by unseen higher beings
through human contacts. It differs from
earlier channeled “bibles” in that it con-
tains a vast amount of modem science as
well as a detailed biography of Jesus
Christ, complete with facts not found in
the Gospels. As a result, many scientists
and scholars are dedicated Urantians.
In addition to discussing the beliefs of
the Urantia cult, Gardner reveals two maj-
or developments that threaten to splinter
the movement. The first is a sectarian rift
that has split the movement into two ma-
jor competing factions. The second is the
growing belief of hundreds of Urantians
that they, too, are receiving their own mes-
sages from the celestials, who they claim
are preparing Urantia for a new revelation
intended to usher in a utopia of “light
and life.” Such secondary revelations are
seen as jeopardizing the authority of The
Urantia Book. Among the other topics ad-
dressed are the extent to which Seventh-
day Adventist beliefs influenced the wreeng
of The Urantia Book, the flaws in
continued on back flap

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Martin
Gardner
C i - M s r v
THE GREAT U L Y E R
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
JBLIO
Amherst, NewYork 14228'2197
MAIN
299 Gardner» Martin, 1914-
Uranti a :
31143005366068 ,
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Published 1995 by Prometheus Books
Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery. Copyright ® 1995 by Martin Gardner. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher, except
in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Inquiries
should be addressed to Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, New
York 14228-2197, 716-691-0133. FAX: [phone].
99 98 97 96 95 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gardner, Martin, 1914-
Urantia : the great cult mystery / by Martin Gardner,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-87975-955-0
1. Urantia book—Controversial literature. 2. Urantia Foundation—
Controversial literature. I. Title.
BP605.U75G37 1995
299—dc20 95-2019
CIP
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.
In religion, what damned error, but some sober brow will bless it, and approve
it with a text, hiding the grossness with fair ornament.
Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2
There is no purpose here to shake the faithful, for I am completely free of the
messianic itch, and do not like converts. Let those who believe, and enjoy it, heave
this book into the dustbin.
H. L. Mencken, Treatise on the Gods
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Contents
1. The Urantia Book 9
2. Dr. William Sadler 35
3. Dr. John Kellogg 51
4. Ellen White’s Plagiarisms 75
5. The Living Temple 83
6. Wilfred Custer Kellogg 97
7. The Revelation Begins 113
8. Harold Sherman and Harry Loose 135
9. OAHSPE 161
10. Science in The Urantia Book, Part I 179
11. Science in The Urantia Book, Part II 203
12. Adventist Influence on The Urantia Book 225
13. Sadler and Sister White 255
14. Did Sadler Contribute to the Papers? Part I 273
15. Did Sadler Contribute to the Papers? Part II 297
16. Plagiarisms in The Urantia Book 321
17. Bitter Schisms 359
18. Joe Pope and the New Teachers 369
19. The Great Rebellion 395
7
8 URANTIA: THE GREAT CULT MYSTERY
Appendices:
A. Books by William Sadler, Sr. 409
B. Books by Harold Sherman 413
C. Sherman’s Letter to Sadler 417
D. The Story of Joseph of Arimathaea 419
E. Unusual Words and Phrases that
Sadler and The Urantia Book Have in Common 423
F. Acknowledgments 437
Name Index 439